Groundhogs are Right 39 Percent of the Time; Winter Requires Extra Care for Humans

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(Chicago) – It’s sad but true. Celebrity groundhog Punxsutawney Phil of PA and his relatives accurately predict the end or extension of winter only 39 percent of the time according to the United States National Climate Center.

Still, Groundhog Day remains a beloved national pastime.

In the northern states, winter often barrels past February 2 and continues through April Fool’s Day. Surviving long, cold winters requires extra care for the 100 million Americans who have high blood pressure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that almost one in three Americans have high blood pressure.

Dr. Stone notes that about five percent of Americans suffer from a vascular condition known as Raynaud’s Phenomenon. People who have this heightened sensitivity to cold temperatures experience numbing of the fingers, toes, lips, nose, and ears. Their body parts become red, white, or blue due to a shrinking of blood vessels and limited blood flow.

The Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) is a not-for-profit professional medical society, composed primarily of vascular surgeons, that seeks to advance excellence and innovation in vascular health through education, advocacy, research, and public awareness. SVS is the national advocate for 3,370 specialty-trained vascular surgeons and other medical professionals who are dedicated to the prevention and cure of vascular disease. Visit its Web site at www.VascularWeb.org® and follow SVS on Twitter by searching for VascularHealth or at http://twitter.com/VascularHealth.

1/11/2011

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